Hydrangea plant named ‘SMHMP1’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant named ‘SMHMP1’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; strong and sturdy stems; glossy dark green-colored leaves; and large mophead-type inflorescences with large sterile flowers with two whorls of bright pink-colored sepals.

Botanical designation: Hydrangea macrophylla.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMHMP1’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Hydrangea plant, botanically known as Hydrangea macrophylla and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SMHMP1’.

The new Hydrangea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Hydrangea plants with new and unique flower types.

The new Hydrangea plant originated from an open-pollination during the summer of 2007 of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Harbits’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,186, as the female, or seed parent with an unknown selection of Hydrangea macrophylla as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hydrangea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. in 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hydrangea plant by softwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since July, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Hydrangea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMHMP1’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMHMP1’ as a new and distinct Hydrangea plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Strong and sturdy stems.     -   3. Glossy dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Large mophead-type inflorescences with large sterile flowers         with two whorls of bright pink-colored sepals.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ from plants of the female parent, ‘Harbits’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more compact than plants of         ‘Harbits’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have glossier leaves than plants         of ‘Harbits’.     -   3. Plants of the new Hydrangea have mophead-type inflorescences         whereas plants of ‘Harbits’ have lacecap-type inflorescences.     -   4. Plants of the new Hydrangea and ‘Harbits’ differ in sterile         flower color as plants of the new Hydrangea have bright         pink-colored sepals whereas plants of ‘Harbits’ have white and         red purple bi-colored sepals.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of Hydrangea serrata ‘RIE 09’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,613. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Hydrangea differed primarily from plants of ‘RIE 09’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea had glossier leaves than plants         of ‘RIE 09’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea had mophead-type inflorescences         whereas plants of ‘RIE 09’ had lacecap-type inflorescences.     -   3. Sterile flowers of plants of the new Hydrangea had more         intense pink-colored sepals than sterile flowers of plants of         ‘RIE 09’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the unique appearance of the new Hydrangea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Hydrangea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMHMP1’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMHMP1’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were grown during the summer in two-gallon containers in an outdoor shadehouse in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Hydrangea production. Plants of the new Hydrangea were two years old when the photographs and description were taken. The soil pH level was about 5.2 when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical description: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘SMHMP1’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Harbits’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,186.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Hydrangea             macrophylla, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at             temperatures about 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 40 days             at temperatures about 24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine and thick; white and brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial deciduous shrub;             upright and mounded plant habit; inverted triangle; strong             and sturdy lateral branches; freely branching habit with             about 17 lateral branches developing per plant; vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 39 cm.         -   Plant diameter or area of spread.—About 31 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 23 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 3.4 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Strength: Strong, sturdy. Color: Close to 143C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 8.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Rugose, glabrous.         -   Luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 141B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,             close to 145A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137C; venation, close to 145A.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper             surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface: Close to 145B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single sterile and fertile flowers             arranged on large terminal mophead-type cymes; flowers face             upright or outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower throughout the             summer in Grand Haven, Mich.         -   Flower longevity, sterile flowers.—Flowers last about three             to four months on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about 49             fertile flowers and about 92 sterile flowers per             inflorescence.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 6 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7 cm.         -   Flower diameter, fertile flowers.—About 1 cm.         -   Flower depth (height), fertile flowers.—About 5 mm.         -   Flower diameter, sterile flowers.—About 2 cm.         -   Flower depth (height), sterile flowers.—About 2 mm.         -   Flower buds, fertile flowers.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Shape: Obovate. Color: Close to 62D.         -   Flower buds, sterile flowers.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Shape: Obovate. Color: Close to 155A.         -   Petals, fertile flowers only.—Arrangement: Five in a single             whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Ovate.             Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening,             upper surface: Close to 74B. When opening, lower surface:             Close to 74D. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 66D.             Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 68D.         -   Sepals, fertile flowers.—Quantity per flower: Five in a             single whorl. Length: About 0.5 mm. Width: About 0.5 mm.             Shape: Subulate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145D. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145D.         -   Sepals, sterile flowers.—Quantity per flower: About ten in             about two whorls. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 7 mm.             Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to 58B. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 58C. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 73B. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 73C.         -   Pedicels, fertile flowers.—Angle: About 40° to 50° from             inflorescence axis. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Length: About             4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close             to 63C.         -   Pedicels, sterile flowers.—Angle: About 50° to 60° from             inflorescence axis. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Length: About             2.3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             Close to 63A.         -   Reproductive organs, fertile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per             flower: About ten. Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament             color: Close to 75A. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length:             About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 155A and 202B. Pollen             amount: None observed. Pistils: Pistil quantity per flower:             About three. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Round.             Stigma color: Close to 74B. Style length: About 2 mm. Style             color: Close to 74B. Ovary color: Close to 145D.         -   Reproductive organs, sterile flowers.—Stamens: None             observed. Pistils: Pistil quantity per flower: About three.             Pistil length: About 2 mm. Stigma shape: Round. Stigma             color: Close to 61A. Style length: About 0.5 mm. Style             color: Close to 61A.         -   Seeds.—Quantity per inflorescence: Numerous. Size: Less than             0.1 mm by less than 0.1 mm; dust-like. Color: Brown. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hydrangea     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have been shown     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to about     37° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hydrangea plant named ‘SMHMP1’ as illustrated and described. 